


Simply Irresistible

by tearbos85



Series: Simply Irresistible [1]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Friendship, Gen, Humor, One-Sided Attraction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-18
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:09:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22301620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tearbos85/pseuds/tearbos85
Summary: She’d learned years ago that, when it came to dealing with Dr. Spencer Reid, there was no such thing as being over-prepared.
Series: Simply Irresistible [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1605304
Kudos: 31





	Simply Irresistible

Penelope Garcia was a woman on a mission. As the elevator rose, she rechecked her bag of supplies to make sure nothing was missing. She had no idea what she would encounter when she arrived at her destination, so she wanted to be ready for anything. She'd learned years ago that, when it came to dealing with Dr. Spencer Reid, there was no such thing as being over-prepared.

She stood in front of his door and ran her A, B, C, and D arguments through her mind before knocking-just in case he decided to be difficult. _Which he can be when he chooses…_ After a long moment, he answered. His expression was surprised but not unfriendly. She smiled her biggest, most irresistible smile at him, and he shyly returned it.

"What are you doing here, Garcia," he asked quietly. His suspicious attitude didn't put her off one bit.

"I'm here to see you darling. Can I come in?" She kept the dazzling smile firmly in place.

"Sure," he replied carefully, as he moved to let her inside.

She slid her heavy tote off her shoulder as she walked to the living room. He followed closely behind, and when she turned she saw that he still wore the same puzzled face. "What is it, Sweetie, "she asked cheerily?

She watched him struggle with which question to ask first. Finally, he settled on, "what are you wearing?"

She smirked internally-that was the reaction she was going for-while casually responding: "PJs." She noticed that he was dressed similarly, though his PJs were blue and gray striped pants and a plain blue tee instead of hot pink pants with lime flowers and a hot pink tee with lime trim. He, however, wasn't sporting braided pigtails with hot pink clips. She watched as he opened his mouth to ask a question, changed his mind and closed it, and then asked a different one.

"What do you have in the bag?"

"Lots of good stuff sweetness. Ice cream for starters." She took out a half-gallon of chocolate chunk along with two purple plastic bowls and matching purple flower spoons.

"Oh," he said happily. He walked over and sat on the couch next to where she was unloading. _Yes! Score one for Garcia. I knew_ _that_ _would get him if nothing else does!_ He was silent as she dished out the ice cream, but after she handed him a bowl he asked, Why?"

"Why what? Why am I here? Why did I bring ice cream?" He nodded. "Well gorgeous, you seemed really uptight and anxious when you got back this morning. I asked Morgan and he said that the case went well, so I knew that wasn't the problem. You looked terrified when Hotch let everyone leave after lunch. I also knew you wouldn't spill anything at the office so I came here bearing ice cream."

"Why the PJs?" He asked as her speech finished.

"First, they're extremely comfortable and second, I'm trying to cheer you up!" He smiled slightly, but she kept talking before he could interrupt. "If this doesn't work, I brought back-ups."

He'd looked about to protest, but the mention of more stuff must have made him realize that she wasn't giving up easily. Instead, he took another bite and asked, "What else did you bring?"

She laughed and pulled more items out. "Movies, guaranteed to make you smile: Monty Python, Spaceballs, Princess Bride, and every Chevy Chase movie I could find. Any takers?" She waved the boxes in front of him until he laughed and chose Spaceballs. "Good choice honey," she said as she hurried to put it in. She scooped out more ice cream for both of them before snuggling next to him. He squirmed for a moment looking slightly uncomfortable, but he settled against her before she had a chance to move over. _Yes! Score two for Garcia!_ She grinned contentedly as the movie started.

Halfway through "Vegas Vacation" he startled her by stating: "I have a date tonight." She wasn't sure if she was more surprised by the fact that he'd volunteered the info or by what he said.

"Oh," she responded curiously, as she paused the movie. When he didn't continue, she gently prodded. "With whom; do I know her?"

"Oh, um, this lady named Cynthia. She works at the used bookstore downtown. I go there quite a bit, and we seem to get along so…"

"Is this the first date?"

"Kind of…we had coffee last week. We're going to see a play tonight." He was speaking slowly, reluctantly, and she felt he was getting close to the problem she'd sensed earlier.

"Is that why you were so frazzled this morning?"

He gave a tiny embarrassed smile. "Yeah, I was almost hoping we would be gone longer so I could get out of going. Not that I wanted the case to keep going," he added hurriedly, "it's just, well, I'm nervous."

_Ok, this I can work with!_ "That's perfectly normal, Sweetie. Everyone gets nervous on first-or second-dates. Is there something particular that you're worried about?"

"Well, um I guess I'm…a little…kind of concerned…about…"

If he'd actually verbalized what he was thinking, she didn't catch it. "What was that?" He whispered something inaudible. "You have to speak up honey."

"Kissing!" he said loudly, and his face flushed a bit. "I'm not very experienced at it."

_That's all? I thought this would be something harder._ "Well that's not so bad. You can just move slowly with that until you feel comfortable."

"But, from what I've seen and heard, 65% or more of women judge a man by how he kisses, even on the first date! I'm not saying that Cynthia will, or even that she will want to kiss me but…what if she does?"

"Geez! Paranoid much, my gorgeous genius? So, kissing is the issue…huh?

"Yes! What if I totally do it wrong or I'm really bad and she doesn't want to go out just because of that?"

She turned to face him completely and looked him in the eye. "First of all honey, if that's all she bases you on then she doesn't deserve you. Second, do you trust me?"

The unexpected question caught him off-guard. "Well, yeah of course but what…"

"Then kiss me."

"What!"

"Kiss me."

"Why?"

"Because, you are worried about how good you are so you can kiss me now and get an honest opinion, or you can wait until the end of your date to find out."

"But…"

"Reid, shut up, stop thinking, and kiss me."

He still looked incredulous, so she leaned forward and pressed her lips gently on his. She nearly laughed at the shocked look on his face, but she held her position until she felt him softly push back. After a second, she pulled back enough to speak.

"I know you've done this before darling. Put a little more effort into it." She moved close again, and this time he kissed back with a little more force.

_He can do better than this…_ "Is that all you've got," she spoke against his lips? He suddenly kissed her firmly, even more so than she'd hoped. _Well, he's got it! I knew it!_ A couple of seconds later he broke contact quickly and turned bright red. She licked her lips playfully and winked at him. "Not bad honey, not bad at all!"

"Really?" His voice raised half an octave, but the color on his cheeks faded faintly.

"Yeah, I think you have more practice than you let on."

The pink tinge flared again and he glanced away. "A little," he admitted softly.

"Well, if that's how you do it normally you don't have any reason to worry."

"Are you sure?"

"Would I lie to you Sweetie?" He frowned in thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Good. Now how about we step up your game a little?" At his questioning glance, she explained further. "You know, get you to first base." She sighed, as he looked even more confused. "I want to teach you something ok? Just go with me."

He nodded warily, and she motioned for him to kiss her again. He obeyed. As they touched, she stuck her tongue between his lips and poked at his teeth. His eyebrows shot up to his forehead. It took all of her willpower to ignore his dumbfounded expression, but she kept prodding until he got the hint. _At least he's being a good sport about this!_ She slowly moved her tongue around, gently exploring to let him get used to the feeling. He tasted of chocolate, and something about that sent unexpected tingles through her. Finally, she pulled away, and she couldn't hold back the giggles as she glanced at him. He quickly got over his shock and glared at her critically.

"What," he demanded?

"The…look on…your face…" she gasped as she fought to regain composure.

"Why didn't you tell me you were going to do that?" he asked petulantly.

"I wanted to see how you would react." She took a deep breath for control and continued: "Your Cynthia might decide to move up a step, and I wanted you to be ready."

"Oh," he responded in a tone of mild surprise. "She might do that?"

"Um, yeah! She's dating a gorgeous, intelligent doctor. She'd be crazy not to!"

His expression returned to worried. "But, what am I supposed to do if she does that?"

"Oh lord, I'm so glad we're doing this now," she teased. "Try it; do exactly what I did." This time, he didn't protest. A few tries later, he had it figured out. _Damn! The boy's a natural!_ Next, she threw him a curveball by moving her tongue against his. She noted with pride that he didn't even flinch. She made him practice once more before she sat back on the couch and playfully touched her mouth. "Well, well, aren't you the quick study Dr. Reid!"

He grinned shyly and replied quietly, "you really think so?"

"Hell yes baby cake. That'll definitely get you to first base." She held up a hand to stop his question. "Get Morgan to explain it. Now, what are you going to wear?"

"Um…"

"Oh boy," she sighed, and peeked at the clock. "What time is your date?"

"I have to meet her at 7."

"We better get moving!" she said quickly. She took the bowls and ice cream to the kitchen as he trailed along.

"Now? Why do we have to pick clothes so soon?"

She faced him and spoke slowly. "Because, darling, we have to find the right outfit." She grinned at his look of fear as she dragged him to his bedroom. "So where exactly are you going?" she asked as she opened his closet.

"We're going to see that new play, and then get something to eat."

"Ok. That means dress clothes, nothing formal, but nice…" She rifled absently through various items-all neatly arranged by color and season-until something caught her eye. "This!" she declared triumphantly, as she held up his purple scarf and draped it around his neck. "You have to wear this."

"Why?"

"Because, it looks so hot on you. It's cold enough outside that you should wear it."

"Hot?" His tone betrayed surprise as he fingered the knitted ends.

"Yes, gorgeous, hot. Now we have to dress you to match…what underwear are you wearing?"

His eyes widened and his jaw dropped in disbelief. "What?"

"I know you heard me or you wouldn't be looking at me that way."

"Why does that even matter?"

She sighed as if dealing with an uncooperative toddler. "If you are wearing cute underwear, you feel better about how you look. I don't know the psychology behind it, but it's true. Even if no one sees them, it gives you a little, secret confidence boost." He seemed highly doubtful. "I know you probably don't believe me, but I wouldn't steer you wrong love. Besides, tonight's a good time to test my theory isn't it?"

He mimicked her sigh and replied uneasily, "what qualifies as 'cute' underwear?"

"Hmm," she murmured contemplatively, "do you have any that match the color of the scarf? He was silent for a minute, and she could almost see the gears in his brain working. He suddenly snapped his fingers and moved to a box on the floor of the closet. After some digging, he stood clutching a pair of dark purple silk boxers. "Perfect!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe you have those!"

"They were a gift," he whispered, as a pink shade crawled down his neck.

"Good; now put them on."

He instantly dropped them and backed away quickly. "No way! Why?"

"Get a grip honey, geez. You've obviously never worn them as the plastic from the tag is still on here…" she indicated the waistband as she picked them up. "You have to make sure that they fit comfortably and that you look good in them. Do I need to give the "cute underwear speech" again?"

"No," he muttered softly.

"Ok then, so put them on already. We still have a lot to do." She went back to examining each article of clothing carefully.

He glanced helplessly around the room. "But…"

"I won't look. I'm busy here." She heard him shuffle away, then there was silence for a few moments. "Well?" she called impatiently. He didn't respond verbally, but the rustling sounds told her he was complying.

"Ok, now what?" he called timidly.

"Get over here so we can finish."

"But…um…what am I supposed to wear now?"

"Aren't you wearing the purple boxers?" she answered exasperatedly as she turned to face him.

"Yes…Garcia!" He flamed red and frantically looked for something to hide behind.

"What," she responded irritably?

"I…I'm not…"he swiftly grabbed a pillow from the bed and held it in front of him.

"Oh come on, Reid. We don't have time for you to play shy. Come over here…and where is the scarf?!" He reluctantly dropped the pillow and pulled the scarf off the floor. She silently beckoned him over. He crept toward her as if he was going to his execution. When he was within reach, she snatched the scarf and firmly placed it on his shoulders. "Now leave this on," she demanded. Returning to the closest, she seized two pairs of pants. "Do you have jackets to match these?"

"The black ones yes."

"Hmm…" she moved to the bed to lay out both pairs. On her way back she stopped to slowly look him up and down. She smirked at him as he blushed from root to toe. She deliberately let her eyes linger admiringly until he folded his arms over his bare torso.

"Garcia stop it!" he hissed as he twisted away from her leering stare. She whistled suggestively at the new view, and he threw his hands up in dismay. "Garcia," he whined.

"All right, I'm done Sweetie," she said with a smile. When he faced her again, she winked and gave him a predatory look before tossing her hands up in mock surrender at his glare. "I promise I'm done. Do you have a purple dress shirt?" He shook his head. "Ok then, put these on first. I want to see how they look." She handed him the charcoal pants. "By the way, how do those boxers feel on?"

"Fine," he answered hesitantly.

"Great! Do you feel smoking hot in them?"

"Um…" he replied with a shrug.

"Well you look it," she stated sincerely. He didn't look convinced, so she stepped over and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Look at me." He obeyed. "The whole point of this is to give you some confidence, some self-esteem. If you aren't happy we can adjust but you have to tell me honestly, and quickly." He nodded as she stepped back. He crossed over to the mirror hanging on the door.

"These are fine, really."

_Don't I know it!_ He slid the pants on and added the black belt she tossed to him. "Spin for me," she ordered, and he did so without complaint. "Very nice," she commented.

"Thanks."

"Pick out a few coordinating ties while I look for a shirt." He stood next to her and sifted through his tie rack. She couldn't resist watching him: the way his hair just brushed the nape of his neck, the way the muscles in his back moved, the way his long fingers flipped across the ties…

Unbidden thoughts of what else those graceful fingers could do sent shivers down her spine and a wave of heat to her cheeks. She could almost feel him running them over her hair as she caressed his soft skin and fondled his ribcage and…

"Garcia?"

"What?" she said dazedly. He was giving her a quizzical look as he held up several ties. "Oh, ok, good." She shook herself out of the daydream and pulled a black dress shirt off the hanger for him. Once he'd buttoned and tucked it in, she studied him carefully. After adding his black wool coat and arranging the scarf so it just peeked out from the lapels, she felt the look was complete and didn't call for a tie. She sat on the bed and made him model it for her from different angles.

"Man, you look good enough to eat honey!" He smiled slightly and shook his head. _Whew, he certainly does!_ She forcefully put her hands underneath her legs to keep them from stripping the outfit back off him. _I had better distract myself for a while._ "Why don't you go shower and get ready while I make sure your shoes are polished?"

"Ok," he agreed with a smile, "and Garcia- thanks. I mean that."

"I know you do Sweetie." She stood and patted his cheek briefly before turning her attention to his closet once again. He left the room, and the shower started a minute later. _Shower!_ She refused to allow that thought to continue. _Focus Penelope! He's going on a date, and you're still crazy about a certain technical analyst._ Repeating that sentence helped her concentrate on the task at hand.

The water stopped running, the implications distracting her momentarily until she took control of her brain again. Ten minutes later Reid entered, fully dressed and freshly washed, with his overcoat and scarf hanging casually from his arm. He was gorgeous! She was speechless.

Wordlessly, she handed him shiny black dress shoes, one black sock, and one charcoal sock. "Thanks," he said, and gave her a brilliant smile. She nodded silently and swallowed hard. He gazed at her curiously but wisely opted not to comment.

"You look…wonderful," she croaked as she finally regained her voice. "Really, really handsome Sweetie."

"Thank you Garcia. I appreciate all that you did for me." He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Thank you for being such a good friend."

"You're welcome Sweetness," she squeaked.

He checked his watch. "I better get going. I plan to stop for flowers on the way."

"Yeah. Yeah, you had better go then. Don't want to be late." She put as much cheer into her voice as she could muster around the irrational stab of jealousy. _You HAVE a boyfriend! What is your_ _problem?_

"No, definitely not," he replied with a grin. He put on the scarf and carried the overcoat. "Can you lock up?"

"Of course," She smiled brightly at him. "Good luck tonight Sweetie."

He gave a dazzling smile in return. "Thanks, but I don't need it. I have "confidence" because of you."

_Score three for Garcia! Wait- why do I feel so upset about that?_ "Good, honey, I'm glad." She walked him to the door where he gathered his wallet and keys from the nearby shelf.

"I'll see you later," he called as he headed down the hall.

"Later darling!" She stood on the threshold and watched appreciatively until he was out of sight. Then, she turned and slammed the door shut and leaned against it. "What is my problem?" she yelled to the walls around her, and glared when they failed to respond. With a deep sigh, she began gathering her supplies. _I should be happy that my plan worked,_ she thought bitterly.

As she shut off the lights and set the alarm, she decided that she should research this "Cynthia" just to be safe. _I can't have my handsome boy flitting around with just anyone. This chick could be a psycho for all he knows!_ She pulled the apartment door shut behind her and shuffled toward the elevator. When the door opened, the lingering scent of his cologne drifted out to greet her. She sank back against the glass wall and inhaled the divine smell. Suddenly, realization struck her, and everything made sense.

_Oh, my gosh-it must be the 'Reid Effect!" It's working in reverse! I have to be a lot more careful, and I can't let him out of my sight anymore!_ As the elevator came to a stop, she began planning her deep background check on a woman named Cynthia.


End file.
